We’re all getting older but some of us had a head start. There’s a new phenomenon out there- maybe you’re even a part of it. Those of us in the “baby boom generation” now regularly experience caregiving for our older parents in their 80s, 90s or even beyond. We’re all growing older together- and while some of us are dealing with our own aches, pains, and retirement plans, we’re just as likely consumed with caregiving and financial responsibilities for our senior parents. It’s even a new area of aging research, as you’ll read in this recent Next Avenue piece.

And in a new survey conducted by OnePoll, on behalf of Capital Senior Living, 2000 baby boomers were surveyed about their involvement and care planning for their older parents. The results? Adult children are understandably concerned about ensuring their parents have access to good medical care and live in close proximity to them, but they’re also concerned about their parents’ happiness, risks from living alone and paying for the costs of adequate care. There’s a lot of worry out there, and a lot of confusion about the appropriate and available options. And what about their own aging? Boomers also report they’re not only unprepared to “parent their parents” but they’re also unprepared to face these issues for themselves. For a deeper dive into the survey and its implications, take a look here. And for a close-up view of how one boomer couple is bearing the costs of an aging parent (and a dependent adult child) while negotiating their own retirement plans, take a look at this recent Wall Street Journal profile (paywall).